and i don't remember my parents calling a repair-person or declaring the dishwasher off limits or anything.

i'm guessing you could maybe peel off the melted plastic once it's hardened and the heating element has cooled down? or maybe you could run the dishwasher on super-hot with nothing in it a few times till the plastic completely melts away? you might also need to let it de-gas over night by leaving it open (and maybe a window open nearby if you're sensitive to the smell).

okay, does anyone know anything about dishwashers? I put some tupperware in there and it got caught on the heating coil and burned up and smelled like crap. I breathed some of it in and that's my first question. am I going to be allright breathing in melting plastic? and second, is my dishwasher going to smell like burnt plastic every time I use it from now on and is it safe to go on using it? anybody ever had this happen to them or am I the only dimwit??